Smoking outside London Bridge and surrounding streets

I walk down Tooley Street too but the smokers don't bother me that much. Their sometime desperate lighting up at every occasion slightly bemuses me but then again I used to do that when I was still a smoker. What bothers me much more are ridiculous amounts of ice-cream vans still littering Bankside and surroundings, and ruining my evening run home... Any way, this song keeps going through my head... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBhWAvsLH6A

I don't want to wade into this debate as it is getting quite heated.However...
I am a non-smoker who is not a fan of inhalling the smoke of others but generally accept that it is part of living in a big city. What I would ask is that when I (or anyone else with a baby)walks down a street with my pushchair, that the smokers could move their cigarette so that the smoke does not blow over my baby.
Thanks

Years ago I went to see a show with my wife and we requested smoking seats, as we both smoke. Another couple sat down at the table we were at and spent the whole show moaning about smokers.

At the end of the show I smiled sweetly at them and pointed out had they simply asked us not to smoke as they don't we would have refrained, but did as we were in the smoking area did not appreciate having our evening spoilt by their constant moaning.

At bus stops I have always stood away from the bus stop and in a position so that the fewest people possible are effected by the smoke. On a couple of occassions non smokers seem to believe they have the right to come up to me, within reach of the smoke to verbally abuse me. Or to stand by someone who is smoking then moan about it. And as CVM says it is common courtesy to do my best to avoid inflicting my smoke on babies, children.

It would be nice if those stubbies that were promoted so much by the council, community police etc. were more easily available so that it was easier to dispose of cigarette buts without throwing them everywhere, though I do to hold onto them until I reach a bin, or somewhere to else suitable to dispose of them. Though great that you can get them free when availble, I for one would not mind paying for them in the local shop where I buy my tobacco.

Personally I would like to see the community officers spending more time fining dog owners who do not pick up after their pets, especially those from gated communities who spend thousands for their properties with no grass space for them to take their dogs to run around, but believe it is okay to use local council estates because they believe the residents are so far below them they are beneath contempt.

How I love this site and its ability to discuss virtually anything - including social dog fouling issues...marvellous.

However, to stick to the theme I still have a few questions and as GS has thought I am particularly focused on him (rather than the issue) I will ask again

1. Why can't smokers stand out of the way of the main walkway/thoroughfare to allow people to pass by without having to wade through their smoke - simple consideration only? No attack on their right to smoke.

2. Why does GS feel so threatened by this that his only retort is to say he will smoke ever more in other peoples faces

3. What does the £4 in tax he highlighted have to do with anything - we all pay tax for all sorts of things but its doesn't bring any special rights or privelages to any of us - what's the beef about this?

And I really am not getting het about about this whatever you may think Gavin - just asking the questions?

Orifice workers can't smoke in their place of work, but for removal workers, the entrance/exit is our place of work. Often smokers get quite shirty with us when we ask to be treated with the same courtesy/respect as their colleagues. They seem to self regard as vanguards of some ancient right to smoke. The smoking thing must be really important to some people. There is free NHS help for those who want to break the addiction.

with summer and warmer nights, we have to sweep our gardens at least twice a day but the real problem I have is that during the night we get individual that break in the ashtray boxes and dump everything on the ground in thier search for usable fag ends. there was even a fight over "patch rights" outside the pub at about midnight between 2 cretins over who gets to sift through our trash.

so would smokers please smoke right down to the filter so to give no reason for the tramps to make a mess in front of the pub every night.

other than that smoke away. ( i dont, the missus does, so i fight a losing battle there anyway)

Urbanite, I have made my views on this matter very clear and I won't be repeating them. However, the law is quite clear in that smoking is only prohibited in enclosed premises. The Act clearly defines enclosed premises and entrances/exits (unless enclosed) rarely fall into the prohibited category.

Urbanite wrote:

Why does GS feel so threatened by this that his only retort is to say he will smoke ever more in other peoples faces

I am not threatened at all! On the contrary; it seems to be the non-smoking brigade that seem to feel so threatened that they post on this site in such strong terms.

the real problem I have is that during the night we get individual that break in the ashtray boxes and dump everything on the ground in thier search for usable fag ends. there was even a fight over "patch rights" outside the pub at about midnight between 2 cretins over who gets to sift through our trash.

Blame the smokers. It's clearly their fault, and no one else's. I mean, it's inconceivable that one could empty the ashtray boxes at the end of a night.

Just the same thing happens with banks, you know. People break in to steal the money. I blame the savers, personally. Line them up with the smokers, and shoot both lots together.